India laid the platform for yet another day of good batting in the series with a 188-run record opening partnership but Sri Lanka scripted a comeback by picking up six wickets before close of play on day one in the third Test in Kandy. India were 329 for 6 at stumps with Wriddhiman Saha and Hardik Pandya at the crease. Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul shared the opening partnership with the former scoring a hundred. Not other batsmen could score a fifty. For Sri Lanka, Malinda Pushpakumara picked up three wickets while Lakshan Sankadan and Vishwa Fernando picked up two each.

05:22 pm: Stumps on day one in Kandy! Sri Lanka would be happy as they picked up six wickets but India would be disappointed to lose the momentum after a solid platform from Dhawan and Rahul

05:17 pm: Final over of the day coming up. Vishwa Fernanado will bowl with Wriddhiman Saha on strike. India are 327 for the loss of six wickets

05:09 pm: WICKET! R Ashwin falls. A stunning catch from Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps. Angelled away from Ashwin and he goes after it, gets a thick outside edge. It was going to slips but Dickwella throws in a dive to grab a one-handed catch parallel to the ground

04:58 pm: India are 315 for five with five overs remaining. Sri Lanka have used up one review after challenging an onfield decision. There was a big inside edge before the ball hit his pads

04:52 pm: Six overs remaining in the day’s play and this has been a brilliant comeback by Sri Lanka. India have gone past 300 which may prove crucial in the context of the game

04:35 pm: Ashwin and Saha slowly taking India closer to 300. In the recent past, Indian lower order has been in exceptional run scoring spree. But, with Ravindra Jadeja missing, they could fall a bit short

04:25 pm:WICKET! Kohli gone for 42. Brilliant bowling from Sandakan. Kohli goes for a big drive but only gets an edge to slip. Mathews takes the catch

4:03 pm: India are 278 for the loss of four wickets. Ashwin and Kohli at the crease. Lahiru Kumara to bowl for Sri Lanka

03:51 pm: Ashwin and Kohli need to make sure India do not lose a wicket till close of play. Another wicket for Sri Lanka and they will think they have the upper hand going into the second day

03:38 pm: WICKET! Ajinkya Rahane is bowled. Not the best of shots from him. It’s a straighter one from Pushpakumara and Rahane tries flick it on the leg-side. Misses it completely and through the gate

03:26 pm: 250 up for India! They have slowed down a lot after those three wickets but still going strong. How much will they finish with at the end of the day

03:10 pm: Kohli and Rahane are dealing in singles. No risks taken and easily rotating the strike. Sri Lanka bowlers still not bowling the perfect line and length.

03:01 pm: Players back in the middle for the final session of play on day one of the third Test. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are the two batsmen for India

02:42 pm: Tea on Day 1! Sri Lanka will think this has been their session. Three wickets in the session for Sri Lanka and India are 235 for 3.

02:39 pm: Sandakan troubling the Indian batsmen with his wrong’un. Rahane has been edgy. Kohli had had success but isn’t in full flow yet

02:31 pm: The three wickets have slowed down India in a big way. Runs have dried up slightly. India are 233 for the loss of three wickets with Kohli and Rahane at the crease

02:18 pm: WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara gone! Sandakan strikes with a wrong’un. Pujara goes to play with the spin but it has spun the other way. He has failed to read it. Goes to cut it but is later. Edged and it hits the keeper’s glove before going to Mathews at slips

02:08 pm: WICKET! Shikhar Dhawan is caught and that is a stunning catch from Dinesh Chandimal. Dhawan sweeps and it is flying but Chandimal plucks it off the air. Out for 119

02:00 pm: Pushpakumara to continue for Sri Lanka. India continue to score runs at a brisk pace. The run-rate is still over 4.5 runs

01:55 pm: 44 overs have been bowled in the Indian innings and India have reached 204 for the loss of one wicket. Pujara settling in with Dhawan

01:45 pm: Pujara is the new man in and India bring up their 200. Another top performance from the batsmen. This has also come in quick time

01:36pm: WICKET! KL Rahul has fallen. Pushpakumara has picked up a wicket in his first over. Rahul comes down the pitch and wants to lift it over the infield but has hit it straight to mid-on. He is gone for 85

01:32 pm: Pushpakumara into the attack. Dhawan is one shot away from his hundred. Rahul into the 80s. India’s opening stand growing

01:13 pm: Another cracking shot from Dhawan! HE moves on to 87*. Rahul is on 79*. Sandakan to bowl for Sri Lanka. Who will break this stand for them?

01:05 pm: This is just getting worse for Sri Lanka. Rahul and Dhawan are in a race who gets to his hundred first. They are doing it easily aided by the loose bowling.

12:55 pm: India have slowed down after Lunch. 150 up for India and the openers continue to make it an easy work. Sri Lanka struggling to stop the runs

12:40 pm: Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul walking back to the middle. Sri Lanka need to break this partnership if they want to make a comeback in this game

India scored some quick runs. 134 runs in a session is a commendable job. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan have looked at top of their game. Apart from the one chance from each of them, they have been perfect

12:01 pm: A session completely dominated by India. They reach 134 for no loss at Lunch on Day 1 and Sri Lanka will be disappointed with their effort. Dhawan unbeaten on 64, Rahul unbeaten on 67

11:58 am: Final over before Lunch coming up. Dilruwan Perera will bowl it. India are 124 for no loss. Can Sri Lanka pick up a wicket before the break. Both Indian openers have scored half-centuries

11:48 am: Sri Lanka making another bowling change before Lunch. Left-arm chinaman Sandakan comes on to bowl. Dhawan will be on strike. India 114 for no loss

11:45 am: 22 overs bowled and India are 114 for no loss. Dhawan and Rahul have given the Sri Lanka bowlers absolutely no chance to dominate. Sri Lanka looking second-class

11:35 am: FIFTY! Now KL Rahul brings up his half-century. Seventh consecutive fifty in Test cricket and he has now equalled the record for most consecutive half-centuries. Only Sir Everton Weekes, Andy Flower, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Rogers have done the same

11:25 am: FIFTY! Shikhar Dhawan continues his rich form. A top class cover drive for four and that is his fourth half-century for Dhawan in this series. 100 up for India as well

11:21 am: Bad, bad bowling from Lahiru. KL Rahul punches it and gets another four! Just too easy for him. Another expensive over on the cards for Sri Lanka?

11:15 am: Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul continuing the good work for India. Runs coming easily for them as India move closer to the 100-run mark. Superb batting and poor bowling

11:03 am: First hour of play done and India will be very happy. The first over of spin also bowled by Dilruwan Perera. Drinks time in Kandy

10:57 am: Dropped! Lahiru Kumara hasn’t had a good first hour as he drops KL Rahul at mid on! Rahul tries to loft it but the bat turns in his hand. It has gone up towards mid-on where Lahiru doesn’t judge it. Has to run back but it is two late. In and out!

10:53 am: The outfield is really not helping India. KL Rahul comes up with a lovely, on the up cover drive, but the slow outfield doesn’t allow it to go to the boundary! Rahul not amused

10:45 am: 50 up for India! That has come in quick time. Only 55 runs to reach there, quickest in this series. Sri Lanka fielders not helping the cause

10:42 am: Sri Lanka bowlers haven’t done enough to contain the Indian batsmen. Bowling short and wide to Dhawan on this pitch will get you punished. KL Rahul is not timing his shots perfectly but still getting the runs

10:35 am: India scoring at six runs per over. They are 42 for no loss after 7 overs. Lahiru, who was pretty expensive, has been taken off the attack. Medium pacer Dimuth Karunaratne will bowl for Sri Lanka

10:27 am: 4 3 4 4 0 1 – Not the best line from Lahiru in that over. Short pitched bowling with that pace and on this surface was never helpful. Rahul playing a beautiful on-drive. 16 runs off that over.

10:23 am: Maiden over from Fernando! Good stuff from the youngster. Bowling it on the just outside the off-stump and keeping the batsman. Lahiru Kumara will continue from the other end.

10:18 am: Expensive over from Lahiru. Couple of boundaries in there. One off the inside edge as well. The little movement is making the batsman cautious. The ball is moving late

10:13 am: How close was that! Fernando with a delivery on the off-stump and Dhawan pushed hard at it standing in the crease. It takes the outside edge but goes between the second and third slip for four. It did not carry to them as well.

10:09 am: Lahiru Kumara with a brilliant over for Sri Lanka. No loose deliveries from him and KL Rahul was stuck at the crease. The movement also made it difficult for Rahul who was beaten a few times

10:04 am: Some movement for Fernando in that over. India pick four runs. The outfield is on the slower side after the rain. It’s Kandy and it can rain anytime

10:00 am: We are all set for play. Vishwa Fernando has the ball in hand. India openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan are out in the middle

09:35 am: Kuldeep Yadav comes in for Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI for India while Sri Lanka have made three changes to their XI from the previous Test.

09:30 am: India win toss and elect to bat against Sri Lanka in Kandy. Virat Kohli says it is “no brainier” that India will bat first.

09:15 am: We are 15 minutes away from toss. Virat Kohli has won it in both the previous two matches. As far as the matches go, Kohli now has four consecutive wins in Sri Lanka

09:00 am: Hello and welcome to the coverage of the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka from Kandy. With the series already decided, Sri Lanka will like to end the series on a high note with a win while the visitors will like to complete a clean-sweep.